‘Lowering age discernment won’t solve juvenile delinquency’ – children’s rights groups
“Children in conflict with the law should not be perceived as criminals because they are victims, victims who should be helped to correct his/her mistakes.” — Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concern
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – In late 2008, Arnold (not his real name), then 17, was on his way home from a birthday party when a police mobile stopped in front of him. The policemen stepped out of the vehicle and arrested him. A woman inside the police mobile accused him of robbery. He was detained at Quezon City Police Station 6 together with other adult prisoners.
“I was detained for five days. Inside the jail, I was beaten up by other prisoners,” Arnold, now 20 years old, told Bulatlat.com in an interview. Although nothing was recovered from him by the police, he was still imprisoned. He was considered as one of the thousands of children in conflict with the law (CICL).
Arnold’s experience inside the jail is the main reason why children’s rights advocates are up in arms against the call to amend Republic Act 9344 or the “Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006”. Children’s rights advocates said that lowering the age discernment and suspension of the law will not solve the problem.
“It is absurd to judge the law as a failure when in fact it has not been implemented as it should be,” said Melissa San Miguel, spokeswoman of Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concern. “We are dismayed that one of the more progressive laws concerning the welfare of children is now being considered for amendments or even suspension,” San Miguel added.
(Photo courtesy of Salinlahi / Bulatlat.com)
Payo’s study conducted in 2002, meanwhile, revealed that the age of discernment of out-of-school Filipino children is 18 years old. In their position paper, Payo said that said studies were the basis for setting of the age of criminal responsibility in RA 9344 to 15 years old.
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Source: Bulatlat.com
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/11/04/lowering-age-discernment-wont-solve-juvenile-delinquency-childrens-rights-groups/
1 comment
sanggayon ako na hindi talaga dapat ihalo sa mga may edad na preso ang mga bata. masamang karanasan lang ang kahihinatnan. subali't hindi ba dapat talagang ibaba ang age of discernment dahil nagagamit ng mga sindikato. kawawa naman ang mga biktima, lalo yung napapatay.
"Arnold was beaten up inside the jail, his throat was repeatedly hit that he almost lost his voice. “I could not speak. I thought I could not survive it inside the jail. The place was so small, humid, smelled awful and the ration food was not even edible,” Arnold told Bulatlat.com."
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